Bike Gear Hall of Fame

PowerBar, 1983

10 / 15

After unsuccessfully searching for the right fuel to meet his training and racing needs, marathoner Brian Maxwell took to his San Francisco kitchen. His creation was sticky and thick, but easily portable and with an ideal mixture of carbohydrates (44 grams) and fats and protein (4 grams), with plenty of cramp-preventing sodium. Soon, he was selling PowerBars—then packaged in plastic wrap--from his trunk at running races. Runners liked them, and cyclists, long accustomed to stuffing their pockets with bulky sandwiches, were quick to pick them up.

Gu built on the concept in 1991, introducing the first energy gel, with other companies soon bringing similar products to market. Sports nutrition is now estimated to be a $5 billion industry. Though the original Malt Nut PowerBar was discontinued in 2006, current flavors still contain a mix of nutrients similar to Maxwell's original formulation.